Department for Education

Adoption Support Fund

lord russell of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what impact the Adoption Support Fund has had on rates of adoption disruption since its inception in 2015.

lord agnew of oulton: The information requested on all adoptions which breakdown after the adoption order is granted is not held centrally. The attached research report, ‘Beyond the adoption order’, was published in 2014 and gave a one-off insight into adoption disruption. It can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/beyond-the-adoption-order-challenges-intervention-disruption.Some information is collected on children who return to care and who are reported as having previously been adopted. This is published in table C1 (attached) in the statistical release ‘Children looked after in England including adoption: 2017 to 2018’. It can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018. These figures were collected for the first time in 2014 and should be treated with caution as the information is based on self-declaration, and for a large number of children the previous permanence arrangement is not known.The independent, 2-year evaluation of the Adoption Support Fund (ASF), published in August 2017 (attached), found that ‘a large majority of survey respondents believed that the support provided through the ASF had helped them’.



HL15284_PDF report
(PDF Document, 3.04 MB)




HL15284_PDF report
(PDF Document, 1.11 MB)




HL15284_Excel table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 1.54 MB)

Ministry of Justice

Vagrancy Act 1824

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people were serving a period of imprisonment under the provisions of the Vagrancy Act 1824 in (1) 1989, (2) 2000, (3) 2010, (4) 2015, and (5) 2017.

lord keen of elie: Data for the number of people serving prison sentences under the provisions of the Vagrancy Act 1824 as at 30 June in each year can be seen in the table below: 200020102015 2017Total147 66The Ministry of Justice is unable to provide data for 1989, for to do so would have meant providing the information at disproportionate costs.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Gulf States: Overseas Aid

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific on 3 April (HC237139), what are the objectives of the Integrated Activity Fund.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Integrated Activity Fund was introduced in the 2015 Spending Round to enable activity when funding from core departmental, or other sources, cannot be made available to service the British Government's Gulf Strategy. It is intended to support the delivery of flexible, cross-cutting and sustained investment in the region.

Asia Bibi

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the remarks of the Prime Minister of Pakistan on 10 April that Asia Bibi would be leaving Pakistan very soon but that there was a complication, what clarification they have sought from the government of Pakistan about (1) what is complicating her departure from Pakistan, and (2) measures to expedite her departure.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​As the Foreign Secretary stated in Parliament on 2 April, her case remains a high priority for the British Government. We continue to be in close, regular contact with international partners to ensure a positive outcome for Asia Bibi and her family.

Sri Lanka: Terrorism

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to (1) assist the government of Sri Lanka in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday killings, (2) establish who funded and armed the perpetrators, and (3) provide support to bring those responsible to justice.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Prime Minister spoke to the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka on the 23 April to offer her condolences on behalf of the UK and offer our assistance. We are discussing with the Sri Lankan authorities what form of support would be most helpful and effective. The Government of Sri Lanka have confirmed that a significant number of arrests have been made and counter-terrorism activities are ongoing. The Sri Lankan Prime Minister and President have both said publicly that there will be a thorough investigation. It is important to let that process follow its course. The UK and other international partners stand ready to support the Sri Lankan authorities.The Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism command has dispatched a team of specialists to Sri Lanka. This team includes family liaison officers to support the families of British victims and assist with the repatriation of deceased British nationals. A recent Interpol programme led by UK experts to train 30 Sri Lankan forensic specialists and police officers in disaster victim identification, may also have been of additional support in the aftermath of the attacks.

Sri Lanka: Religious Freedom

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Sri Lanka in the last six months about concerns in relation to freedom of religion or belief.

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey havemade of freedom of religion or belief in Sri Lanka.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK regularly raises human rights concerns with the Sri Lankan Government, including the importance of religious tolerance and protecting the rights of all citizens to practice their faith. Our High Commission regularly meets with representatives of religious minorities, including Muslims and Christians, to hear their concerns, and maintains a regular dialogue with the Government of Sri Lanka across a range of human rights issues. This includes the implementation of human rights and reconciliation commitments under UNHRC resolution 30/1.In addition, the UK is providing £8.3 million from the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (2016 to 2019) for projects in Sri Lanka, including inter-faith dialogue and mediation. On 23 April the Minister for Asia and the Pacific met members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Sri Lankan Muslims to hear their concerns.

Saudi Arabia: Capital Punishment

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to impose sanctions on Saudi Arabia in response to the torture and execution of 37 citizens; and if they intend to take no action, why not.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are deeply concerned by the 37 executions in Saudi Arabia. The Foreign Secretary raised this matter directly with the Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, HE Minister Al Jubeir, and asked for further information. The British Government oppose the death penalty in all circumstances and in every country, including in Saudi Arabia. We regularly raise human rights concerns, including the use of the death penalty, at the highest levels with the Saudi Arabian authorities.

Libya: Armed Conflict

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what information they have in regard to the international sources of funding to Libyan warlord Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar; and in particular whether he is receiving financing from Saudi Arabia.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of reports that a range of countries are providing varying degrees of support to General Haftar, and to other groups within Libya. We are not able to verify all these reports. We are using all our channels to the parties on the ground and to governments in the region to promote a ceasefire, humanitarian access, and a return to political talks. The Foreign Secretary spoke to the Saudi Arabian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs on 25 April and was clear that that only a cessation of hostilities and a return to a political process could eventually unify Libya and restore order.

Venezuela: Politics and Government

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the United States' draft resolution at the United Nations, as announced by United States Vice-President Mike Pence on 10 April, to revoke the UN credentials of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government and to recognise Juan Guaido as the country’s legitimate leader.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​It is clear that Nicolas Maduro is not the legitimate leader of Venezuela. The United Kingdom recognises Juan Guaidó as the constitutional interim President of Venezuela, until credible presidential elections can be held. The United Kingdom calls for free and fair presidential elections in accordance with international democratic standards.

Cabinet Office

Elections: Proof of Identity

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the estimated cost of each of the electoral integrity and voter ID pilots in the local elections on 2 May in England this year; what is the estimated overall cost of running those pilots; and whether they will reimburse local authorities for any extra costs that they incur.

lord young of cookham: Voter ID is part of a body of work this Government is delivering to strengthen the integrity of our electoral system and give the public confidence that our elections are secure and fit for the 21st century.As was the case for the 2018 pilots, the 2019 pilot costs will be confirmed when they are known which will be after the pilot authorities have completed their work. That will be as soon as possible after the elections on 2 May. Funding for the additional cost of piloting voter ID will be provided to each local authority by the Cabinet Office.